A national penny shortage has forced Barton County officials to examine how they will handle cash transactions, with County Treasurer Jim Jordan outlining two potential rounding methods during a County Commission study session Tuesday afternoon.

“This isn’t a really big deal, but you will get calls,” Jordan said.

Jordan presented the commission with information on “conventional rounding” and “bankers rounding” as the county anticipates a complete halt to penny circulation following a U.S. Mint directive in August to stop production.

Conventional rounding, the more common method, would always round a number ending in $.05 up to the nearest dollar amount. And this is the direction Jordan said he plans to go since the Kansas Department of Revenue hasn’t offered any guidance.

By state law,

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